1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to automated industrial processes. In more particular aspects, the present invention relates to the control of, and acquisition of data from, remote and in-plant subsystems in automated industrial processes.
2. Description of the Related Art
The automation architecture of modern industrial operations, such as that found in modern oil and gas field applications, is enabled at the field-level and process-level by various interconnected devices herein referred to as remote subsystems or field devices. These field devices monitor and collect data, such as measurements of fluid pressure, temperature, or flow, reflective of the operations of the automated process. These field devices are connected to machines known as controllers that operate at the system-level to process the data collected and issue commands back to the field devices, or to other field devices, in response to processing the collected data. The repeated process of receiving collected data and issuing commands thereby constitutes control over the operation of the automated process. For example, field devices perform sensor functions to sense operational information and variables such as temperature, pressure, pH, or flow rate and deliver that information to the system-level controller devices. In addition, field devices can perform actuator functions to receive information, such as commands, from the system level to thereby affect or control the operation of an automated process, for example, through motors and pumps. Accordingly, the sensor and actuator functions, at the process level, are supported by a controller or a number of controllers, at the system level, which receive information from the sensors and transmit information to the actuators. Field devices may be termed “intelligent field devices,” generally, in the sense that they may also incorporate more robust functionality, such as the ability to process data, self-monitor, self-regulate, self-calibrate, or provide early warning with respect to malfunctions or predictive maintenance.
The deployment of intelligent field devices requires a complex system architecture, for example, including the setup and calibration of multiple hardware components, such as system-level controller devices including one or more programmable logic controllers (“PLC” or “PLCs”) and remote terminal units (“RTU” or “RTUs”). The system level devices require other systems for the retention of data received from the field devices, such as a database server. Also, field devices and controller devices are frequently interconnected using network technology, requiring network devices such as an Ethernet switch, which can also connect the automation network to remote host computers, such as a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) host.
Applicants recognize numerous problems, as well as the sources of these problems, in conventional automation remote subsystems. For example, setup and calibration of such a system is made increasingly complex as more and more types of field devices are added to the automation environment, some requiring the use and support of different communication protocols among a variety of existing communication protocols currently in use in the industry. Accordingly, the architecture and configuration of conventional automation systems, especially those using intelligent field devices, can present several logistical problems. First, a greater number of hardware components are needed, which places demands on the limited resources, such as electric power and physical floor space, of an enterprise. Moreover, the number of different hardware components that may be necessary tends to increase the complexity of the support model for the system, for example, for deployment, maintenance, and operation of a multi-device and multi-protocol architecture. Therefore, to employ a plurality of remote field systems, one must employ numerous hardware components typically including, for example: (a) a plurality of controller units, such as PLCs and RTUs, to issue commands to, and gather and process data from a plurality of field devices, including remote subsystems and instruments, and according to any one of multiple communication protocols; (b) a database server for the storage of process data retrieved from the remote subsystems and instruments; and (c) a communication infrastructure supporting multiple communication interfaces, including network connectivity and multi-protocol support. As various subsystems implement different communication protocols and interfaces, even more intermediary devices may be required. In addition to the cost and other disadvantages of having to supply the number of hardware components described, the operation of numerous hardware components results in increased power and space requirements and a more complex support model to deploy, maintain, and operate the components.